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More Than WLTV

Mar 15, 2011More Than WLTVGary Vaynerchuk gives us the lowdown on his new book.

Chances are you've seen the work of our pal Gary Vaynerchuk, host of Wine Library TV. While you may know him as the guy who's tasted wines in a snowstorm or paired Chardonnay with Cap'N Crunch, deep down he's one seriously smart business guy.

His family wine shop in Springfield, New Jersey, went from sales of $4 million to $60 million in less than a decade for a simple reason: "Knowing thy audience," as Gary puts it. For example, he bet early and big that American wine drinkers would gravitate to high-quality, fair-price Australian and Spanish wines.

But Gary's success isn't rooted in single wine picks--it's all about innovation.

"I launched my family's liquor store business online in 1997," says Gary. "Wine Library TV wasn't the beginning or jumping-off point; it was the continuation of that trend of innovation."

And as Gary grew from offering straight-up wine advice to helping Fortune 500 companies develop social media strategies, he felt it time to come full-circle with his new book, The Thank You Economy--which is largely about the importance of making customers feel special.

"Crush It! positioned me too much as a motivational speaker," Gary says. "I'm a self-aware guy; I know that people view me as a very strong marketer, but perhaps one that is lacking substance. [But] I think when it's all said and done, people are going to say, 'Holy crap, Gary V. is a lot smarter than I thought he was.'" Read the online excerpt of the book, and you'll probably agree. Or click here to buy The Thank You Economy now, and learn why success in today's world is as much about innovation as the personal touch.

Have you read The Thank You Economy? Share your thoughts on the book below.